"I'm allowed to": Trump's presidential profit machine bursts into the open

Democrats erupted Monday over President Trump's $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for MAGA allies who claim political persecution, vowing to investigate what they called textbook corruption. Why it matters: With each passing month, Trump is weaving the financial interests of his family, his allies and his political movement more tightly than ever into the fabric of the American presidency. Driving the news: The weaponization fund grew out of an extraordinary legal conflict: Trump sued the IRS for $10 billion in January while simultaneously controlling the agencies and lawyers on the other side of the case. The taxpayer-backed fund will be overseen by a five-member commission appointed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney. Bypassing congressional approval, the fund could extend compensation to Jan. 6 defendants, conservative activists, former Trump aides and other allies who have faced investigation. What they're saying: "The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American," Blanche said in a statement, calling the fund an effort "to make right the wrongs that were previously done." In a legal filing, 93 House Democrats argued the arrangement "raises the specter of corruption unparalleled in American history." Some have signaled they will impeach Trump if Democrats win the House in November. Zoom in: The Justice Department's announcement came amid mounting scrutiny of Trump's most recent financial disclosure, which revealed more than 3,700 individual stock trades last quarter. The trading activity — involving some companies heavily exposed to federal policy decisions — represented a staggering escalation from the previous quarter, when Trump disclosed just 380 transactions. Popular Information's Judd Legum reported that Trump publicly praised or promoted several companies, including Apple, Dell and Thermo Fisher, about the same time he was buying their stock. ...

Original source: Axios